God Forbid Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Nearly four years have passed since the release of God Forbid's last album, 2005's post-apocalyptic concept piece Constitution of Treason, and, at the time, the New Jersey natives ranked just beneath bands such as Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall in what was then called (rather generously) the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Needless to say, much has changed since then, and the heavy metal scene into which the quintet unleashed its fifth long-player, Earthsblood, in early 2009, had seen, among other things, the replacement of melodic death metal with more brutal deathcore, the unlikely rebirth of thrash, the widespread extinction of emo/screamo, and a general stylistic splintering that left no clear indication about the next dominant trend. But luckily, God Forbid have never been ones to follow trends as much as their own creative muse wherever it might lead them, so although some of their fans may chafe at the inevitable progression presented on Earthsblood, no one can accuse the band of playing it safe. Nor is there a simple way to categorize the numerous textures and subgenres contributing to the complex architecture of this new collection of songs: thrash, hardcore, death metal, and non-metal...nothing is really out of bounds. Any given song -- from the concise three-minute punch of "Shallow" to the nine-minute expanse of the title track -- harbors all kinds of instrumental ingredients, including hard/soft mood swings, bludgeoning riffs (some played on down-tuned seven-strings), clean melodies, syncopated and straight-ahead rhythms, etc. Likewise the vocals, which vary from clean to growled and largely recite very decent lyrics, too -- something one should never take for granted in metal. As a result, Earthsblood is not only a challenging and unique-sounding heavy metal album, likely to reveal new secrets with every listen, but in many ways a timeless one as well. It probably won't sink as quickly or appeal as widely as other, more niche-oriented releases, but watch it crop up on many year-end "best of 2009" lists. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
'IV: Constitution of Treason'
Release Date 9/19/2005
Tracks 11
Label Century Media
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Never the most political of bands in their early years (like most hardcore-based metal bands, they trod a path marked by earnest but often unfocused, generalized social commentary), New Jersey's God Forbid appear ready to run for office with their fourth album, 2005's IV: Constitution of Treason. Or at least ready to tear the "office" down, judging by the album's incendiary lyrics foreseeing an apocalyptic new world disorder. Obviously imagined, but also rooted in grimly contemporary historical forecasts, their three-part, ten-song "Constitution" moves from worldwide nuclear destruction (no surprise there -- see "The End of the World"), to a stone-aged aftermath ("The Lonely Dead" --not quite Mad Max, but close), to the emergence of an unlikely messiah-cum-martyr (not again! see "To the Fallen Hero"), and, finally, a gradual regeneration of "civilized" humanity possessing belief systems disturbingly similar to those of old (yes, again -- see "Crucify Your Beliefs"). Through it all, suspension of disbelief definitely helps one get with the overwrought story line, but it's a boatload of inspired music that really cushions the passage, with the tracks named above as well as further highlights "Chains of Humanity," "Into the Wasteland," and the title cut proving among the most memorable and inventive of God Forbid's career. And if all of the above sounds eerily familiar to survivors of the original '80s thrash metal movement, these will be happy to know that the Coyle brothers' abundant deployment of jagged thrash metal riffing -- as much as their apocalyptic subject matter -- is in fact one of the album's greatest strengths. Besides perfectly offsetting the inevitable doses of melodic passages and alternating clean/screamed vocals typical of God Forbid and their metalcore generation, they help lend a timelessness to Constitution of Treason that any album should aspire to. And for a band that almost threw in the towel the year before, all of that makes this an even greater triumph. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Gone Forever is the heavily anticipated follow-up to God Forbid's 2001 CD Determination. Since the release of that album, their Century Media debut, they moved up the ladder from being an opening act on several package tours to scoring a spot on the MTV Headbangers' Ball tour (with likeminded bands Shadows Fall and Lamb of God) and finally emerging as headliners in their own right. They come out with their guns blazing on this album, as opener "Force-Fed" throws everything they've got at the listener: racing Swedish death metal riffs, tightly synchronized dual-guitar leads à la Carcass' Heartwork, "chugga-chugga" hardcore breakdowns, and a bloodletting of harsh, screaming vocals. It is an impressive, punishing song that comes at you from about five different directions. They proceed to do the same thing eight more times on the album, with only the brief quiet intros on "Precious Lie" and "Judge the Blood" offering any reprieve. Apart from these moments, the intensity never lets down, although the melodic vocal refrains on "Better Days" and Precious Lie" add some welcome contrast (and unlike many hardcore-metal bands that try to incorporate clean vocals, God Forbid can actually sing). There is a lot to digest on this album, and the relentless attack, combined with the chiseled production and the music's unyielding harshness, make for a grueling listen the first few times through. In fact, even though it's only about 40 minutes, the album is a song or two longer than it needs to be. God Forbid were at the forefront of the new wave of American hardcore-metal circa 2004, but some listeners still found it easier to respect the band's talent and digest the songs a few at a time as opposed to sticking around for a full album's worth of punishment. [The 2005 edition included one bonus track.] ~ William York, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Out of Misery originally appeared in 1998 as God Forbid's debut. Though it fell out of print, it's been reissued in the wake of the band's signing to Century Media and the subsequent release of the Determination LP. This new version augments the original EP's six tracks with live material from a CBGB's date. Musically, the most striking thing about God Forbid is its ability to unite thrash and black metal with the tenets of hardcore while keeping one wary eye on -- can it be? -- real melody. It's not melody in a pop sense, but cuts like "Habeeber" and especially "Madman" execute furious tempo and thematic shifts, screeching technical solos, and Byron Davis' anguish-to-a-bellow vocals with a precision that turns each stuttering moment into a barbed hook. "Nosferatu" is metalcore perfection, rocking double-time verses in the midst of headbanging choruses and an extended bout with brotherly guitarist mayhem courtesy of Doc and Dallas Coyle. The live material sounds great as well, with a massive bottom end and a load of atmospheric ambience -- "N2" actually succeeds in translating the club's claustrophobic environs to record. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
New Jersey's God Forbid, though more or less a straightforward death metal/hardcore fusion quintet, are abundantly talented musicians and play with tremendous intensity and fury. The riffs often border on the generic -- residing somewhere between Slayer, Emperor, and Meshuggah, but, again, they are played with certainty. The songs on Determination, however, are a bit more fleshed out than a lot of death metal-inspired hardcore, even if all the attendant signatures are there: venomous double kick usage, quick tom fanning, gutteral screaming, and the occasional double-picking. That is to say, God Forbid seem to realize that there is far more to being a band -- particularly a metal band -- than devising scare tactics, tuning down, sharpening one's picking skill, and shaking the hair. To that end, the band has added some of the more soaring progressions of power metal, whether consciously or not. Having recorded the album at the famous Trax East studio in New Jersey, it's no wonder that the album sounds as good as it does. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
